Outsourcing Research Articles

Representation of internal speech by single neurons in human supramarginal gyrus

Speech brain–machine interfaces (BMIs) translate brain signals into words or audio outputs, enabling communication for people having lost their speech abilities due to diseases or injury. While important advances in vocalized, attempted and mimed speech decoding have been achieved, results for internal speech decoding are sparse and have yet to achieve high functionality. Notably, it is still unclear from which brain areas internal speech can be decoded. Here two participants with tetraplegia with implanted microelectrode arrays located in the supramarginal gyrus (SMG) and primary somatosensory cortex (S1) performed internal and vocalized speech of six words and two pseudowords. In both participants, we found significant neural representation of internal and vocalized speech, at the single neuron and population level in the SMG. From recorded population activity in the SMG, the internally spoken and vocalized words were significantly decodable. In an offline analysis, we achieved average decoding accuracies of 55% and 24% for each participant, respectively (chance level 12.5%), and during an online internal speech BMI task, we averaged 79% and 23% accuracy, respectively. Evidence of shared neural representations between internal speech, word reading and vocalized speech processes was found in participant 1. SMG represented words as well as pseudowords, providing evidence for phonetic encoding. Furthermore, our decoder achieved high classification with multiple internal speech strategies (auditory imagination/visual imagination). Activity in S1 was modulated by vocalized but not internal speech in both participants, suggesting no articulator movements of the vocal tract occurred during internal speech production. This work represents a proof-of-concept for a high-performance internal speech BMI.

Farmland Rental Market, Outsourcing Services Market and Agricultural Green Productivity: Implications for Multiple Forms of Large-Scale Management

Large-scale management is the key to realizing long-term agricultural growth in smallholder countries. Land-scale management and service-scale management are two forms of agricultural large-scale management. The former is committed to changing the small-scale management pattern, but the latter tends to maintain it. There has been a lack of discussion and controversy about the relationship between the two. From the perspective of market maturity, this paper explores whether the two are complementary or mutually exclusive and how their complementary or mutually exclusive relationship affects agricultural green productivity. The results show the following: Land-scale management and service-scale management are complementary, not superficially contradictory. The benign interaction between the two has a consistent improvement effect on green productivity in both the short and long term, which has spatial spillovers appearing in the long term. The reasons are as follows: The farmland rental market can reverse the inhibitory effect of the current low-maturity outsourcing services market on green productivity. The outsourcing services market can delay the arrival of the inflection point beyond which expansion of farmland rental transactions reduces green productivity, and amplify the positive effect of farmland rental on it. Although the degree of benign interaction between the two forms of large-scale management has gradually increased in recent years, it is still low overall. Agricultural large-scale management in China is still in the stage driven by land-scale management. Smallholder countries such as China need not worry prematurely about which large-scale management path to take, and they should treat both forms of large-scale management with an equal perspective to accelerate the high-level interaction between them.

Reporting after removal: the effects of journalist expulsion on foreign news coverage

Abstract What happens to international media reporting when governments expel foreign journalists? Countries around the world expel foreign reporters, yet there is no consensus about the effects of such expulsions. We argue there are three possible outcomes of expulsion: a chilling effect, resilience, and backlash. Using China as a case study, we evaluate these competing theories by collecting a novel dataset of foreign news stories about China and applying time-series causal inference methods to measure the effects of expulsion on information origination, composition, and reach after March 2020, when the Chinese government expelled a large number of foreign correspondents. Results show that expelled media organizations did not experience a chilling effect or backlash on reporting and may have changed their production processes to account for expulsion. These findings suggest that news organizations can remain resilient to the impact of extraordinary events which target the organization and disrupt internal production processes.

Perceived likelihood of standard employment by client organizations and the career mobility of outsourced employees: a self-driving human capital increment model

Externalized employment, aimed at reducing labor costs, is becoming increasingly prevalent. However, the effective implementation of management practices to improve the career mobility of outsourced employees remains unknown. Drawing from social cognitive theory, this study constructs a self-driven career mobility model for outsourced employees. What’s more, this study proposes the concept of differentiation in perceived organizational supports (DPOS), that is ‘the relative degree of outsourced employee’s perception of support from client organizational exceeds that from supplier organization in triangular employment relationships’, and regards it as a key boundary condition for outsourced employees to interpret the cognition of employment opportunities. Data were collected from a three-wave survey of 271 outsourced employees from 52 interorganizational teams. Results showed that the perceived likelihood of standard employment (PLSE) by client organizations positively predicts outsourced employees’ turnover intention from supplier organization. Job-related human capital development (JRHCD) and occupational self-efficacy play a chain mediating role between PLSE and turnover intention. DPOS moderates the relationship between PLSE and JRHCD, and also moderates the mediating and chain mediating effect of JRHCD and occupational self-efficacy. We discuss the implications of findings for outsourcing management research and practice.

Labor Mobility Networks and Green Total Factor Productivity

Population migration continues to reshape the spatial pattern of China’s population and regional economic development. During this internal migration process, production and consumption patterns often change, ultimately leading to changes in green total factor productivity. This paper, based on the Chinese population census data and 1% sampling survey data from 2005 to 2015, utilizes social network analysis methods to measure the labor mobility network indicators of 284 prefecture-level cities. Further, this paper analyzes the impact and mechanisms of regional network status on green total factor productivity using a panel fixed effects model. We find that as network density increases, the interpersonal connections between regions become closer, and the network exhibits a clear pattern of “concentrated inflows” and “dispersed outflows”, with the trend of forming strong alliances becoming increasingly apparent. Regions positioned centrally either in terms of network in-degree or out-degree exhibit higher green total factor productivity. Among these, the labor mobility network plays a crucial role in enhancing green total factor productivity through the channel of technology diffusion effects, which improve investment efficiency via knowledge exchange and material capital accumulation. The promotive effect of labor network status on green total factor productivity is more pronounced in the eastern regions, where talent quality is higher, and in areas with fewer restrictions from the household registration system.

О методическом обеспечении совершенствования государственного надзора за состоянием промышленной безопасности на объектах ведения горных работ, металлургических производств и обращения взрывчатых материалов

Since the 2000s, the activities of the state supervision over industrial safety at hazardous production facilities of mining and metallurgical production in Russia have been reoriented. Fiscal methods in control and supervision practices are substituted with preventive measures, which outlines the development of new approaches to the supervision organization. The modern methodology aiming to improve the state mining supervision has been historically based on the Russian system of scientific and technical methods and organizational and administrative measures aiming at sustainable and long-term improvement of industrial safety level at hazardous production facilities of the Russian metallurgical and mining industry in conditions of internal production growth and external sanctions. The long-term experience of ensuring industrial safety at hazardous production facilities of the mining and metallurgical industry provides the key methodological ways to improve the state mining supervision: i.e., verification of reliability of identification of hazardous production facilities; broad public awareness of causes and consequences of accidents and occupational injuries and the necessary preventive measures; identification and elimination of intrasystem shortcomings in the control and supervision activities; updating and improving industrial safety norms and rules. The efficiency of such methods is tested with practical activities and the successful reduction of accident and injury rates at the facilities under supervision. The introduced mandatory requirements as defined based on the results of control and supervision activities and the analysis of accidents and fatal injuries as well as the strict compliance with such requirements have gradually led to the reduction of the accident and injuries level. This can be considered the main achievement of the methodological activity of the organization of the state supervision over the industrial safety condition at the facilities under the supervision. This also indicates the quality of the developed methods of the state supervision and their applicability for the further control, preventive, licensing and permitting, and normative activities. In recent years, new planning and checking methods based on indicators of risk of mandatory industrial safety requirements violation have been developed and implemented.

ANALISIS SWOT DALAM MENENTUKAN PROSES REKRUTMEN DAN SELEKSI KARYAWAN DI JNE EXPRESS CABANG UTAMA KOTA SORONG

This research aims to determine effective recruitment and selection strategies to increase deliveries carried out by JNE Express Sorong City Main Branchthrough SWOT analysis. This research uses qualitative research. Secondary data was collected through observation. Apart from observation, the author also used interviews with HRD and the head of Marketing at JNE Express Main Branch, Sorong City. The data that has been collectedthen analyzed using the SWOT method. The results of the research show that the total IFAS Matrix is 3.29 and the EFAS Matrix is 3.24, with the position in quadrant III showing that the strategy used is the Turn Around (WO) strategy with several strategies, namely inviting a trainer from JNE center to conduct training or seminars to develop employees' knowledge andskills in their field and conduct a trial period for new outsourcing employees.

Development of a Secure Web-Based Medical Imaging Analysis Platform: The AWESOMME Project.

Precision medicine research benefits from machine learning in the creation of robust models adapted to the processing of patient data. This applies both to pathology identification in images, i.e., annotation or segmentation, and to computer-aided diagnostic for classification or prediction. It comes with the strong need to exploit and visualize large volumes of images and associated medical data. The work carried out in this paper follows on from a main case study piloted in a cancer center. It proposes an analysis pipeline for patients with osteosarcoma through segmentation, feature extraction and application of a deep learning model to predict response to treatment. The main aim of the AWESOMME project is to leverage this work and implement the pipeline on an easy-to-access, secure web platform. The proposed WEB application is based on a three-component architecture: a data server, a heavy computation and authentication server and a medical imaging web-framework with a user interface. These existing components have been enhanced to meet the needs of security and traceability for the continuous production of expert data. It innovates by covering all steps of medical imaging processing (visualization and segmentation, feature extraction and aided diagnostic) and enables the test and use of machine learning models. The infrastructure is operational, deployed in internal production and is currently being installed in the hospital environment. The extension of the case study and user feedback enabled us to fine-tune functionalities and proved that AWESOMME is a modular solution capable to analyze medical data and share research algorithms with in-house clinicians.

Production Chain Organization in the Digital Age: Information Technology Use and Vertical Integration in U.S. Manufacturing

Advances in information technology (IT) may affect the organizational design of production. Exploiting the rapid diffusion of the internet in the United States, we assess the sensitivity of production chain organization to this innovation in IT access and use. Extending theories of the firm that recognize the importance of downstream transfers (selling as opposed to sourcing) and plural governance in organizational design, we predict IT-driven shifts in downstream vertical integration. In a detailed panel of Census Bureau data for over 5,600 manufacturing plants, we observe the extent of a production unit’s downstream transactions within the firm alongside concurrent sales to external customers—a mix we refer to as plural selling. Our main finding is that the use of the internet for external coordination precipitated a significant decline in downstream vertical integration across the manufacturing sector. Instrumental variables estimation points to a causal relationship but also heterogeneous treatment effects. Key drivers of plural organization, such as complementarities and constraints across differently governed transactions, help explain such heterogeneity, as does concurrent use of internal production management IT. Our study is the first study to leverage a plural governance framework and large-scale microdata to understand how U.S. production chain organization shifted in response to this rapid and far-reaching technological change. This paper was accepted by David Simchi-Levi, information systems. Funding: This research was performed at the Atlanta, Boston, and Cornell (supported by the Cornell Center for the Social Sciences) Federal Statistical Research Data Centers [Project 1069 (CBDRB-FY22-279)]. Support for the Research Data Centers network from the National Science Foundation [Grant ITR-0427889] is gratefully acknowledged, as is support from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada. Supplemental Material: The online appendix is available at https://doi.org/10.1287/mnsc.2019.01586 .

Evaluation of a heating protocol and stocking density impact on heatstressed fattening pigs

As climate change intensifies, heat stress mitigation for pigs becomes more important. Trials involving induced heat waves are useful to test several measures (e.g. reduced stocking density) at a faster rate, but only when accurately evaluated and validated. In the present study, we investigated the suitability of an artificial heating protocol at different pig weights (experiment 1). The impact of different stocking densities on fattening pigs during an artificial heat wave (experiment 2) was also investigated. Experiment 1: Forty 20-week-old pigs weighing 96.5 ± 7.3 kg (W100) and forty 17-week-old pigs weighing 72.7 ± 9.9 kg (W70) were housed in two compartments. An artificial heat wave (heat load) was induced for 3 days. During 3-day periods before, during and after the heat load, physiological parameters (respiration rate (RR), rectal temperature (Trectal), skin temperature (Tskin) and behavior) were measured and average daily feed intake was observed. Ambient temperature, relative humidity and temperature-humidity index (THI) were monitored. Experiment 2: A total of 150 fattening pigs were randomly divided into three treatment groups: SD1.3 (1.3 m2/pig), SD1.0 (1.0 m2/pig) and SD0.8 (0.8 m2/pig). All pens had a total pen surface of 4.88 m2, corresponding with 4, 5 and 6 fattening pigs in the SD1.3, SD1.0 and SD0.8 groups, respectively. The heat load was induced for 7 days on week 21. Respiration rate and Trectal were observed as in experiment 1. Average daily gain and average daily feed intake were also noted. During the heat load, THI reached ≥ 75 (78.4 (experiment 1) and 78.6 (experiment 2)), even when relative humidity decreased to ± 45%. Every physiological parameter showed significant increases during the heat load. The prolonged heating protocol in experiment 2 also provoked significant decreases in average daily feed intake (15%) and average daily gain (19%) for all groups. Weight within the studied range of 70–100 kg did not have a significant impact on any of the parameters. However, Tskin was affected by both weight and heat load (P < 0.05), where Tskin from W100 was always lower in comparison to W70. In addition, we found that 0.8 m2/pig doubled the increase of Trectal during the heat load, namely SD0.8 (0.22 °C) compared to SD1.0 (0.12 °C) (P = 0.033) and SD1.3 (0.13 °C) (P = 0.053). This suggests that pigs housed at higher densities are less able to regulate their internal heat production. However, RR and performances were not significantly affected by heat load in this experimental set-up. A stocking density of 1.0 m2/animal may be sufficient to mitigate some negative effects of heat stress.

Status quo crisis again? RMB challenges and dollar hegemony

ABSTRACT Despite the slow process of RMB internationalisation over the last decade, we make an empirical argument that China has recently intensified the RMB’s international and domestic capacity to make it a formidable challenger to the dollar as a global currency in the medium and long-term range. We highlight that China has made substantial progress in expanding the RMB currency network and institutionalising a deep and open domestic financial market, the two most severe obstacles emphasised by the skeptics on RMB internationalisation. In developing this argument, we draw on the ‘credit theory’ of money and explain the global expansion of the RMB currency network in terms of the external and internal production of credit and debt relations denominated in the RMB across borders. Our empirical findings suggest that the pace of the growing foreign demand for RMB-denominated assets has recently taken off.

Bayesian analysis of the growth of pears in the cultivate Shinseiki using non-linear models

The pear of the Pyrus genus is the third most consumed fruit in Brazil, however, internal production is low and most demand is obtained through imports. Brazil has favorable conditions for its cultivation and one of its main economic sectors is agriculture, being responsible for generating a large number of jobs and income for the country. In this sense, studies related to this fruit can provide information and encourage its production. Using non-linear models, it is possible to identify growth patterns such as fruit length and diameter, which can help determine the ideal harvest point. Therefore, the goal of this article was to compare the Logistic and Gompertz non-linear models in describing the growth curves in diameter and length of the Asian pear tree using the Bayesian approach. The results indicated the Logistic model as the best to describe these two variables and provided asymptotic averages of 70.0607 and 79.706 for length and diameter, respectively.

Outsourcing Accounting Functions and the Quality of Financial Reporting for SMEs in Lagos State

This study delves into the outsourcing of accounting functions and its impact on the quality of financial reporting of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SMEs) in Lagos State, Nigeria. The study used a survey research design, and a questionnaire was adopted as a research instrument to elicit information from SMEs located within the Lagos metropolis. The population of the study consisted of 300 registered SMEs in Lagos State as of December 2022. Among them, 268 were located within the Lagos metropolitan area, representing the core focus of the study, while the remaining 32 were situated outside the metro region. Simple percentages were adopted to analyse the respondents' responses, while linear regression statistics were used to test the hypotheses formulated. The study found that there is a significant effect of outsourcing bookkeeping services on the financial reporting quality of SMEs in Lagos State; there is a substantial effect of outsourcing internal audit services on the financial reporting quality of SMEs in Lagos State; and also that there is a significant effect of outsourcing tax reporting services on the financial reporting quality of SMEs in Lagos state. The study concludes businesses should focus on their core competencies and entrust accounting preparation to professional accountants. As companies expand, outsourcing should be viewed as optimising productivity and business performance. The study recommended establishing a regulatory framework by the Financial Reporting Council of Nigeria (FRCN) to facilitate professional accountants' outsourcing of accounting functions and financial services, thus enhancing public confidence. SMEs are encouraged to embrace outsourcing of accounting functions to mitigate excessive costs and streamline operations, ultimately contributing to cost savings and efficiency improvements.

Design of a local strategy for strengthening food sovereignty: the case of the el Pedregal municipal property of Villagarzón Putumayo.

Introduction: The article discusses the evolution of global food systems, highlighting how advances in science, technology, and international markets have led to an automated food model. This model has increased food production to combat food insecurity, but has also generated significant negative impacts on the environment, communities, and human health. The persistence of food insecurity, the deterioration of arable land and the intensive use of agrochemicals are central issues. In Colombia, and specifically in Putumayo, agriculture is crucial to the economy, but faces challenges due to globalization and dependence on agrochemicals.Methods: The study focused on the department of Putumayo, Colombia, specifically in the municipality of Villagarzón and the El Pedregal farm. Adopting a social critical approach, a non-experimental and descriptive design with a cross-sectional scope was employed, using interviews to collect qualitative data. The selection of key informants was based on criteria related to economic dependence on agriculture and recognition of agroecology as an alternative method.Results: The interviews revealed a perception of food sovereignty as an expression of independence in agricultural and livestock production. Challenges identified include the need for investment and incentives, overcoming cultural barriers and the importance of effective technical advice. Technology transfer, focusing on integrated pest management and the use of on-farm inputs, was highlighted as crucial for the transition to agroecological practices. Challenges include overcoming cultural and economic constraints and the need for committed, quality advice.Conclusions: Strengthening food sovereignty in Villagarzón, Putumayo, requires a local strategy that promotes producer independence, encourages internal production, and ensures the commitment and active participation of both producers and technicians. Complementarity, understood as collective work to obtain and govern resources and capacities, emerges as a key to the sustainable development of the agricultural community. The importance of quality technical assistance and a focus on agroecology is emphasized.

Innovation of Enterprise Management in the Era of Artificial Intelligence

As a product of social development and technological innovation, Artificial Intelligence has become the driving force of technological innovation and industrial transformation. It profoundly impacts the world economy, social progress as well as people’s lives. Artificial Intelligence’s commercial applications innovate enterprises’ internal operations and production processes, bringing both challenges and opportunities for management. This article analyses innovation in modern enterprise management with specific applications of AI to management theories. Some suggestions are also made for enhancing the application level of Artificial Intelligence in enterprise management.

A Study on Contributing Factors of IT Outsourcing Satisfaction Financial Service Industry in Hong Kong

This paper aims to identify the critical success factors in Hong Kong Financial Service Industry IT outsourcing satisfaction and propose possible satisfaction rate boosts. A hybrid methodology (qualitative and quantitative) was adopted to analyze the variables and their relationship thoroughly. The six members focus group was formed to discuss IT outsourcing, and the survey was conducted to collect 447 valid responses for data analysis. The six critical success factors were Perceived Information Security Risk, Quality of Service Provider, Contract Management, Internal Contract Experience, Communication and Regulatory Policy, identified to support satisfaction of Hong Kong FSI IT outsourcing after conducting the analysis. Three recommendations are proposed to improve IT outsourcing satisfaction based on the findings of critical success factors: (1) A Build-up of Vendor Evaluation Framework, (2) Enhancement for Knowledge Management, and (3) Enhance Performance Monitoring. The snowball sampling method might have introduced biased information. In future research, a more extensive research scale would be required to understand the whole population, which would be more appropriate for the industry to understand the need and construct any policy. This paper is a holistic approach to identifying factors that affect Hong Kong FSI IT outsourcing satisfaction. In addition, practical recommendations were proposed to improve those factors, thereby increasing the satisfaction rate of IT outsourcing.

Digital transformation, competitive strategy choices and firm value: evidence from China

PurposeThis research aims to examine the effects of corporate digital transformation on firm value, with a particular focus on the mediating roles played by cost leadership and differentiation strategies.Design/methodology/approachThis study employs word frequency analysis to create corporate digital transformation indicators and determine how corporate digital transformation impacts firm value. The data used in the analysis comes from 2,056 listed manufacturing enterprises in China between 2010 and 2019.FindingsThis study demonstrates that digital transformation has a favorable impact on firm value, and that cost leadership strategy and differentiation strategy significantly mediate the relationship between both of them.Research limitations/implicationsThis study utilized word frequency analysis to assess the state of corporate digital transformation. It lacked a more thorough description of internal production processes, operational efficiency, and the pace of digital transformation.Practical implicationsThe results of this study can not only promote the digital transformation and firm value, but also provide a theoretical basis for enterprises to choose a reasonable competitive strategy in the digital transformation.Originality/valueThis study contributes significantly to the field of firm value research by including digital transformation as a fundamental component. Furthermore, it investigates how cost leadership strategy and differentiation strategy play mediating roles, providing a new perspective and explanatory mechanism for understanding the influence of digital transformation on firm value.

Umowa ze skutkiem ochronnym na rzecz osoby trzeciej - konstrukcja i dopuszczalność

Can a third party acquire rights by contract, even though there is no relevant contractual provision? The article analyzes a German contract law institution: the contract protective of third parties which establishes a debtor's special obligation to protect certain third parties whose legal situation may be affected by the performance of the contract between the debtor and the creditor. In the event of a breach of contract due to the debtor's fault that causes damage to a third party, the debtor is obliged to compensate the third party for the damage caused under the regime of contract liability and not under tort liability. The possibility of applying this construction under Polish law, although controversial, is not excluded. Areas of application may however include the outsourcing of services and banking law.

민간위탁고용서비스 직업상담사의 경력개발 영향 요인

This study aims to identify the factors influencing career development efforts among career counselors in private consignment employment services and to derive implications for career development support. To achieve this goal, a survey was conducted targeting 1,000 employees of private consignment employment service agencies, and empirical analysis was performed using chi-square test and binary logistic regression. As a result, firstly, the participation of private consignment employment service workers in education and training is closely related to employment stability. Secondly, among the career development reasons of private outsourcing employees, career goals for self-realization and employment stability are associated with job changes and transitions to other organizations, while career goals for future prospects and autonomy are associated with managerial positions. Thirdly, high-quality education and training participation support should be carefully considered for the career development of private consignment employment service workers. Finally, five variables were found to have a significant impact on career development efforts: age as a personal factor, income as an organizational factor, and career development reasons such as autonomy in job authority and intention to change jobs. In summary, the study suggests that to enhance the professionalism of private consignment workers, it is necessary to provide education and training tailored to the needs of different life cycles, ensure equal opportunities for education and training, empower individuals in decision-making through career counseling, and engage in in-depth discussions on the curriculum of career development programs.

Issues of Interaction Between Operational and Strategic Management of an Enterprise in a Market Environment

Main problem: One of the priority directions for improving the management system at the enterprise is the organization of effective interaction between strategic and operational management through the formation of a mechanism for their interaction, orienting operational management to achieve strategic goals and objectives. In market conditions, issues of interaction between strategic and operational production management are particularly relevant, allowing solving complex economic problems of the enterprise related to the rational use of resources involved in production, reducing production costs, improving the quality of products, optimizing production potential in order to increase the efficiency of the entire enterprise as a whole and its structural divisions. The role of the mechanism of interaction between strategic and operational production management also lies in the possibility of coordinating those final strategic goals that the enterprise strives for with the actual internal production capabilities. The purpose of this article is to study the issues of interaction between operational and strategic management of an enterprise in a market environment. The theory and modern practice of production management in a competitive environment show that the implementation of operational production management is a natural stage in the implementation of strategic management, therefore, there is a close relationship between them, which manifests itself in their interaction. Methods: The methods of analysis and generalization, the method of systematic and comparative analysis, structural and functional method, economic and mathematical methods, graphical and tabular method were used in the work. Results and their significance: the authors consider the theoretical aspects of the relationship between strategic and operational production management at an enterprise in a competitive environment. There is a low level of compliance of operational tasks of production with the strategic goals of development of domestic enterprises and the special role of information systems designed to link operational and strategic management tasks together. Accordingly, the key aspects of information technology implementation are investigated, including the need for employee training, strategic communications planning, information flow management and the use of data analytics. Examples of successful application of information technologies in various industries and organizations are given.